Distributed dynamic configuration of a scalable radio frequency communication system

Abstract

A device implementing a distributed dynamic configuration of a scalable radio frequency communication system includes a primary radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit (RFIC) and at least one secondary RFIC. The primary RFIC includes at least one phase shifter, and the primary RFIC may be configured to apply a first phase shift to an RF signal using the at least one first phase shifter, and to transmit the RF signal to at least one secondary RFIC. The at least one secondary RFIC includes at least one second phase shifter, and the at least one secondary RFIC may be configured to apply a second phase shift to the RF signal using the at least one second phase shifter, and to transmit the RF signal via at least one antenna element. The first and second phase shifts may be received by the primary RFIC from a baseband processor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device comprising:
 a primary radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising at least one first phase shifter, and the primary RFIC being configured to apply a first phase shift to a radio frequency (RF) signal using the at least one first phase shifter and transmit the RF signal to at least one secondary RFIC; 
 the at least one secondary RFIC comprising at least one second phase shifter and the at least one secondary RFIC being configured to apply a second phase shift to the RF signal using the at least one second phase shifter and transmit the RF signal via at least one first antenna element; and 
 a baseband processor circuit configured to determine a total phase shift to be applied to the RF signal, determine the first phase shift and the second phase shift based at least in part on the total phase shift, and transmit an indication of at least the first phase shift to the primary RFIC. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the
 total phase shift to be applied to the RF signal is determined based at least in part on a directional beamforming associated with a transmission of the RF signal. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first phase shifter has a first range and a first step size and the second phase shifter has a second range and a second step size, and the baseband processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine the first phase shift and the second phase shift based at least in part on the first range, the first step size, the second range, and the second step size, such that the second phase shift is minimized. 
 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3 , wherein the first step size is smaller than the second step size. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the baseband processor circuit is further configured to transmit the indication of at least the first phase shift to the primary RFIC via a first out-of-band control channel, the indication further being indicative of the second phase shift; and 
 the primary RFIC is further configured to receive the first phase shift and the second phase shift via the first out-of-band control channel, and transmit the second phase shift to the at least one secondary RFIC via a second out-of-band control channel. 
 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 5 , wherein the primary RFIC further comprises a controller that is configured to programmably adjust the at least one first phase shifter based at least in part on the received first phase shift. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the baseband processor circuit is coupled to the primary RFIC via a coaxial transmission media, the primary RFIC is configured to transmit an intermediate frequency (IF) signal to the primary RFIC via the coaxial transmission media, and the primary RFIC is configured to upconvert the IF signal to the RF signal. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the primary RFIC is coupled to the at least one secondary RFIC via transmission media, the at least one secondary RFIC further comprises at least one third phase shifter, and further wherein:
 the at least one secondary RFIC is further configured to receive another RF signal via the at least one first antenna element, apply a third phase shift to the another RF signal using the at least one third phase shifter and transmit the another RF signal to the primary RFIC via the transmission media; and 
 the primary RFIC is further configured to receive the another RF signal via the transmission media, apply a fourth phase shift to the another RF signal, upconvert the another RF signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, and transmit the IF signal to baseband processor circuit. 
 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 8 , wherein the baseband processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine another total phase shift to be applied to the another RF signal; 
 
       determine the third phase shift and the fourth phase shift based at least in part on the total phase shift such that the third phase shift is minimized; and
 transmit the third phase shift and the fourth phase shift to the primary RFIC. 
 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 9 , wherein the primary RFIC is further configured to transmit the third phase shift to the at least one secondary RFIC. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first phase shifter comprises a fine resolution phase shifter and the at least one second phase shifter comprises a coarse resolution phase shifter. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the least one secondary RFIC comprises at least one third phase shifter and the at least one secondary RFIC is configured to:
 split the RF signal into a first RF signal and a second RF signal;
 apply the second phase shift to the first RF signal using the at least one second phase shifter and transmit the first RF signal via the at least one first antenna element; and 
 apply a third phase shift to the second RF signal using the at least one third phase shifter and transmit the second RF signal via at least one second antenna element, the third phase shift being different than the second phase shift and the third phase shift being received from the primary RFIC. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one secondary RFIC comprises a first secondary RFIC and a second secondary RFIC and the primary RFIC is configured to:
 receive a second RF signal from the first secondary RFIC, and a third RF signal from a second secondary RFIC; 
 identify that a first power level of the second RF signal is greater than a second power level of the third RF signal by more than a threshold amount; 
 determine a gain to be applied to the third RF signal at the second secondary RFIC such that the second power level of the third RF signal will be within the threshold amount of the first power level; and 
 transmit an indication of the gain to the second secondary RFIC via an out-of-band control channel. 
 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 13 , wherein the second secondary RFIC applies the gain to the third RF signal via a phase shifter of the second secondary RFIC. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 14 , wherein the primary RFIC is further configured to:
 combine the second RF signal and the third RF signal after the gain has been applied to the third RF signal by the second secondary RFIC. 
 
     
     
       16. A method comprising:
 receiving, by a primary radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising at least one first phase shifter, an indication of a first phase shift from a baseband processor; 
 applying, by the primary RFIC, the first phase shift to a radio frequency (RF) signal using the at least one first phase shifter; 
 transmitting, by the primary RFIC, the RF signal to at least one secondary RFIC; 
 applying, by the at least one secondary RFIC that comprises at least one second phase shifter, a second phase shift to the RF signal using the at least one second phase shifter; and 
 transmitting, by the at least one secondary RFIC, the RF signal via at least one first antenna element. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining, by the baseband processor, a total phase shift to be applied to the RF signal; and 
 determining, by the baseband processor, the first phase shift and the second phase shift based at least in part on the total phase shift. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first phase shifter has a first range and a first step size and the second phase shifter has a second range and a second step size, and the method further comprising:
 determining, by the baseband processor, the first phase shift and the second phase shift based at least in part on the first range, the first step size, the second range, and the second step size, such that the second phase shift is minimized. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first step size is smaller than the second step size. 
     
     
       20. A computer program product comprising code stored in a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium, the code comprising:
 code to apply, by a primary radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising at least one fine resolution phase shifter, a first phase shift to a radio frequency (RF) signal using the at least one fine resolution phase shifter; 
 code to transmit, by the primary RFIC, the RF signal to at least one secondary RFIC; 
 code to apply, by the at least one secondary RFIC that comprises at least one coarse resolution phase shifter, a second phase shift to the RF signal using the at least one coarse resolution phase shifter; and 
 code to transmit, by the at least one secondary RFIC, the RF signal via at least one first antenna element.